Pierce-Arrow Society Feature Article

One quality which no other motor car can ever possess is built into the Pierce-Arrow
Series 80. It is Pierce-Arrow craftmanship...

1927 Pierce-Arrow Series 80 Runabout

In the mid-1920's Pierce-Arrow expanded it's product
line to appeal to a larger market. In late 1924, the
Series 80 was introduced. The Series 80 was Pierce-Arrow's entry into the
upper-mid priced field, competing with the six cylinder Packard. The cars maintained
the traditional quality ideals of Pierce-Arrow, but in a smaller, less complex
design. The initial response was quite good. Selling in the $3000 - $4000 range, the
Series 80 put the Pierce-Arrow prestige within reach of a new market. At the time
the Series 80 was introduced, the Pierce-Arrow Finance Corporation was organized,
allowing customers to buy a Pierce-Arrow on installment payments. (Purchased from
income rather than capital, as their advertisements phrased it).

All Series 80 models were mounted on the same130 inch wheelbase chassis. The cars
were powered by a six-cylinder L-head engine with a 3 1/2 inch bore and 5 inch
stroke. The steel block was cast in one unit, mounted on an aluminum crankcase. Fuel
was supplied by a Stewart vacuum tank to a Pierce carburetor. A Pierce-Delco
ignition system was used. The engine developed 70 horsepower at 2800 rpm. Four-wheel
brakes and Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers were standard equipment. Pierce-Arrow
advertised fuel economy of 14-17 miles per gallon from the 18 gallon tank.

1926 Pierce-Arrow Series 80 Coach

The original seven body styles were later augmented to twelve body styles. Series 80
advertising boasted the choice of six color options being available. Open body
styles included the runabout, 4-passenger touring, and 7-passenger touring. Closed
body styles included the 3-passenger coupe, 5-passenger coach, 5-passenger sedan,
7-passenger sedan, and the enclosed-drive limosine. A rumble-seat convertible coupe
and a 5-passenger landau-sedan were also offered. In addition to the bodies made my
Pierce-Arrow, custom bodies by Brunn, LeBaron, Judkins and Wilson were available.

With prices ranging from $2495 to $4045, the Series 80 was almost half the price of
the more expensive Series 33. With almost 16,000 produced, the Series 80 far outsold
the bigger Series 33. The Series 80 and the Series 33 were completely different
cars, with very few interchangeable parts. While the Series 80 was a high quality
car, it lacked the complexity and some of the plushness of the larger cars.

1925 Pierce-Arrow Series 80 Coupe

Production continued through 1927. It was replaced in 1928 with the Series 81, which
used the same basic chassis as the Series 80, but had completely restyled bodies.